The Hyrule Warrior
by Skyward Princess of Time
Summary: Zelda wasn't going to sit idly by and watch her one lone competent soldier come home hurt from every battle. She was the Princess of Hyrule, and how could she protect her people when she couldn't even protect the man she loved? Zelink. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda. If I did, the plot of Hyrule Warriors would have been an all out, absurdly epic, catfight brawl.  
><strong>"**The Hyrule Warrior" is rated "K+" for some mild violence and romantic themes.**

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><p><em><strong>The Hyrule Warrior<br>**__A Legend of Zelda Fanfiction_

Zelda, Princess of Hyrule, was pacing.

That was usually the sign of the apocalypse.

Her nervous handmaidens, knowing how lethal the young monarch could be when she was in such a mood, tentatively approached her, each girl whispering to each other feverously in an attempt to goad another into speaking to her. Finally, with a heavy sigh, Impa bravely stepped forward.

"Milady, the Council requests your presence."

"Mhmmm." Zelda heard her head handmaiden, but her brain clearly wasn't in the game.

Zelda heard Impa give another exasperated sigh, recognizing the fact that Zelda was clearly in one of her moods. The young female warrior had been serving by Zelda's side ever since she was a baby. As one of the last members of the famed Sheikah tribe, it was Impa's duty to protect and serve Zelda. As Hyrule was usually in a state of peace, Impa's daily duties usually involved tending to Zelda's needs. A dedicated leader and the definition of a hard worker, sometimes Impa's daily battles included stuffing food down the Princess's mouth as she insisted childishly that she was too busy to bother with something as trivial as eating. However, the young Sheikah, only a few years older than Zelda, had another asset: she was one of only two capable warriors in all of Hyrule.

Unfortunately, because of that fact, Impa was instructed never to leave Zelda's side. Not that she didn't like her company, no, Impa was not only her most loyal servant but her best friend, but if she stayed behind to protect Zelda that meant Hyrule's army had one single competent soldier. _One_.

Although Zelda's thoughts temporary drifted to the comforting sight of her most trusted friend, once again she was consumed with anger and worry as she nibbled on her fingernails, a terrible habit she was dying to break, her thoughts once again focused on said aforementioned single competent soldier, the Hero of Hyrule and her beloved fiancée, Link.

Earlier that day, the Hylian Army had arrived home from a weeks-long venture into the outer territories in order to protect Hyrule from an oncoming monster threat. Although they temporarily quelled the threat, the beasts were regrouping and another attack would need to commence in one week's time. And even though the Hylian Commander boasted about his troops' amazing technical and physical prowess, everyone in that castle, noble, soldier, and servant alike knew that Link was single-handedly the one to defeat the monsters.

As they walked into the main castle hall, most of them stinking up the room of mud, sweat, and blood—although, let's be honest, it was mostly just mud and sweat—Zelda ignored all forms of royal decency and decorum and ran, arms open wide, to her sweet beloved, who gave her a tender, exhausted smile. She threw himself on him, nuzzling her face in his dirty blond hair, relishing in his comforting presence. She was so elated to see him that she almost, _almost _didn't notice his labored breathing and his weak hug. Although Link looked skinnier than a stick and weighed about as much as a Cuckoo, he was the strongest warrior, in both mind and body, that Hyrule had ever known. His hug was normally filled with such strength and protection and today his embrace, like much of his embraces after a battle, lacked its usual pizzazz. Within a matter of seconds, Zelda's true bliss turned into frustration and annoyance. She rubbed his cheek with her own, her limbs shaking from the pent up anger inside. Sensing his beloved's sudden mood change, Link did what he always _frustratingly _did, and kissed her warmly, assuring her that he was okay and he would always return to her. After another sweet kiss, he pulled away from her, making up some lame excuse—Zelda knew he was lying, the tips of his pointed ears always turned red when he lied—about how he had some urgent business to attend to and he'd see her that night, leaving Zelda standing in the middle of the hall, alone, pining for her love and cursing the fact that this was how it always was.

The same scenario had played out before her eyes for years now.

The young hero would always smile, assure her that he was okay, and would disappear for some time to nurse an injury he pretended not to have. It was the same song and dance every time Link was deployed.

Zelda wanted to tell him never to go to war again, to stay by her side forever, but she was a princess and she had a duty to her people. If Link didn't fight, the Hylian army wouldn't even be able to hold a candle to the monsters and Hyrule would be invaded in no time. It was quite pathetic. Hyrule was rumored among its neighboring nations to have the so-called "best army in the world." Zelda snorted despite herself. Hyrule boasted the best _warrior _in the world. Army? Not so much. Due to the peace that they were so blessed with, they weren't really used to fighting and they were, for the most part, stuck-up pansy Momma's Boys that liked to let Link do the dirty work for them. Zelda attempted to implement a new training regiment, and she even had Impa lead them for awhile, but even Impa admitted that it was a lost cause. Because Hyrule's only threats were the monsters on the borders, Zelda couldn't justify expanding the army and spending any more of her country's financial resources into fixing it. In the eyes of the nobles and her people, the army was very efficiently keeping her country safe.

While Hyrule and its incompetent buffoons for soldiers basked in its peaceful glory, Link paid the price.

Even though he was the greatest warrior in the world, he was still only one man and not invincible. The monsters were slowly learning how to defeat him: with pure numbers. It was impossible for Link to fight a difficult opponent while fending off attacks from all sides. Knowing that the rest of the army was useless anyway, she knew any good strategist, even a stupid, brainless monster could figure out if they focused completely on Link, they could wound him, and then perhaps they could manage to bring him down.

Zelda hated to admit it, but eventually that strategy would pay off.

It _pissed _her off in every sense of the word.

What could she do? She was torn between Hyrule's safety and Link's. She couldn't let Hyrule suffer for Link's sake—not that he would let her anyways, even if she chained him to a bed to keep him safe he'd find some magical way to break free—but at the same time, if this persisted, _if this continued_, she would be greeted not with a comforting hug, but by a silent corpse.

Zelda's eyes watered just thinking about it. Biting her fingernail clean off—whoops, she'd have to fix that later, apparently princesses had to have perfect nails at all times—a stray tear streamed down her face subconsciously, the thought of losing him, her one true love, the one man that has always faithfully and selflessly served her throughout her entire life, was far too excruciating to contain internally.

Eighteen years ago, when she was just two years ago, soldiers brought in refugees from Hyrule's outlying villages that had suffered greatly from a monster attack. They were able to save all of the citizens, save one, a brave young mother who had shielded her toddler son from a Lizalfos' deadly strike. In honor of her sacrifice, the Hylian commander of the army, Impa's superior and the only decent commander Hyrule had in decades, took the child in and raised him as his son, teaching him the ways of the sword so that one day, he could protect Hyrule just like his mother had protected him. The army, who had adopted the boy as their own, named him Link, as he was their link to the citizens they vowed to protect. Between Link's natural abilities, his gentle and kind heart, and his courageous fighting spirit, there wasn't a greater soldier in the history of all of Hyrule.

As the young soldier-in-training was the only other child in the castle other than Impa, who was only a few years older than her but treated her as if she was her mother, Zelda naturally gravitated to the boy to play. Originally, they played in secrecy because Zelda's father, the King of Hyrule, did not want Zelda playing with a commoner child, even if he was being raised by the army, but after realizing what a positive influence Link was on Zelda and the tremendous spirit that laid within him, the King of Hyrule eventually adopted Link as a true son of Hyrule and allowed Zelda to play with him openly, in fact, he encouraged it. Two years ago, as her precious father laid on his death bed, happily stepping down from his throne and giving it to his adored daughter, Link surprised Zelda by proposing to her. Zelda, with joyful tears caressing her face, jubilantly accepted, and her father passed away, completely at peace that not only was Hyrule safe and in very good hands, his sweet little girl was also safe and in very good hands.

_I understand your struggles, Daddy. I understand what it's like to be torn between your kingdom and the one you truly love._

How could she fix this mess? What could she do? Did she really have to choose one over the other?

While she was completely immersed in her various musings and reminiscing, Impa had shooed away Zelda's dutiful handmaidens and requested that the two be left alone.

"I trust this is about the young master," the Sheikah said in a gently, motherly tone, her steps heavy from the massive sword she carried on her back—how her back never managed to break, Zelda would never know—but her hand gentle on Zelda's shoulder. Ever since Link proposed to Zelda, out of not only respect for Zelda but also for the warrior Link had become, Impa usually referred to Link as "young master." It was the highest of praise the prideful Sheikah could give.

"I don't know what to do," Zelda finally sighed, her walls breaking down—Impa would see through them anyways—as she collapsed against the windowsill. "Every single time he comes home from battle he's hurt. He refuses to admit it, but one of these days…one…_one of these days_…" she trailed off with a loud sniffle, unable to contain her cries. Impa sat down next to her, pulling the young princess in a comforting hug.

"Link is a strong man," Impa said soothingly. "I doubt anyone will be able to best him in battle. You have nothing to worry about, Milady. If there's one man you can count on to always win the battle and return home, it's him."

Zelda shook her head. No. She wasn't going to naively believe in that like she always used to. Link was strong, but he was a mere human. One wrong strike, one misplaced blow…

That only morphed the rivers of tears into a harsh waterfall.

"How can I protect Hyrule when I can't even protect the man I love?" Zelda bawled, wiping her eyes and ignoring the fact that her makeup was getting smeared all over her face. "I wish I could go into battle with him and…and…"

All of a sudden, Zelda's tears stopped as she shot up, now imbued with the greatest idea she had ever come up with.

"Zelda," Impa said with an annoyed tone of voice. Zelda pitied Impa, she was always the one to deal with her moods, and she knew that Zelda's idea was not one that she was going to like. Zelda felt a teeny, just an eensy-weensy bit guilty about the faithful guardian, but there was no way she was _not _going to perform the most epic plan ever.

There was a way she could protect Hyrule _and _Link and the same time:

She would protect them both _herself_.

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><p>"Soldiers, to the ready!" The Hylian Commander—Zelda really should know his name but he was never memorable enough—barked, the soldiers dutifully marching along, Link bringing up the rear and protecting the army's most vulnerable section. Unlike the majority of the army, which was clad in a very traditional chainmail outfit, Link chose to wear his normal green tunic. The tunic was very important piece to him, as it was actually the dress his mother had died in, and he wore it to forever honor her memory. Zelda had a sneaking suspicion that Link vividly remembered his mother and her death, although he never outright talked about her. Link's sharp blue eyes were alert, scanning the area intently for any potential threat. The way his blond hair flowed in the soft breeze, those beautiful blue eyes…<p>

"Oi, Soldier, whatta doing?"

Whoops. Zelda made a mental note not to stare at Link and fangirl when she was in disguise.

The armor was hot, stank of bad breath, and weighed more than she did. She originally wanted to use her Sheikah disguise that she wore when she needed to disguise herself, but unfortunately Impa knew that disguise—she was the one that helped Zelda form it—and kept it under constant lock and key to ensure that the princess wouldn't do something stupid. As Impa was the one that trained her—_only _for emergencies, of course—in the ninja art of the Sheikah warriors, Zelda was very good with smaller weapons and quick attacks, and her strength did not lie in wooden shields that could break in a moment's notice and unsharpened heavy blades. Thankfully, she was able to sneak her rapier—please don't ask her how she managed it—out of the castle, which she hid under her armor. Right now she couldn't attract attention. She had to blend in. If she didn't, while she didn't believe the ordinary bozos could figure it out, she would be in deep trouble, because no one, not even Impa, knew her better than Link. He could spot her out in a heartbeat.

That was Zelda's biggest challenge for her little escapade: deceiving Link.

She'd already managed to bribe a handmaiden to pose as her for a little while—the girl looked very similar to her and she was brought on as a double—and had prepared extensive lists for the girl to say in her absence. It would certainly fool the nobles and the councilmen, as most of them were unaware of the double's existence. Unfortunately, it would not fool Impa. She knew that the first place Impa would look for her would be here, and she couldn't have her barging in and messing with her perfectly laid plans.

So, knowing all of that, she may of, well, _err_, sent Impa on a very pointless fetch quest on the other side of Hyrule insisting that it was of the utmost importance and the goddesses had spoken to her in a vision that she needed that item to save the world.

If she didn't die in combat, Impa would surely kill her the moment she stepped into Hyrule Castle.

Oh, good. Zelda had managed to keep herself entertained with her own intelligence and wit for long enough. They were finally at the scene of the battle. Zelda half-heartedly listened to the Commander's pep talk, letting her keen mind observe the situation and analyze. She knew she should really be thinking about watching the army and trying to see how she could fix it from within, but right now, adrenaline pumped through her veins. She was so caught up in her silent battle strategy planning that she almost didn't notice Link step beside the Commander.

"Warriors of Hyrule, it is time for us to raid the enemy of the keep and forever silence these wretched beasts that threaten our home and loved ones. Believe in the courage that lies within your heart. Believe in the strength that all of you, all strong soldiers of our blessed land of Hyrule, possess. And fight with every bit of your heart for your families, your friends, and our glorious Princess. In the name of the Goddesses that protect us, and for the sake of the Princess, let us show them why these beasts should forever fear the men of Hyrule!"

Good thing she was wearing a helmet, because Zelda's mouth dropped open in complete and utter _shock_.

She'd never heard Link say so much at one time in his life. He was a quiet man, preferring to let his actions speak for himself, and never said more than a sentence at a time. But here, standing in front of the soldiers, he spoke strongly, his once gentle, quiet voice now strong and authoritative, his passive and peaceful nature morphing that of a truly battle-hardened _leader_.

And unlike with the Commander, where the men gave a couple o' hoos and hahs, the soldiers reacted to Link's speech with enthusiasm, confidence, and for once, they actually looked motivated to do a good job.

Zelda smiled. Maybe there _was _a permanent solution for the army after all. Namely, a swift change of command.

She gave an impassioned _whoop _of her own, tossing the clanky, dull steel blade they gave her aside and brandishing her shining rapier, ready to jump into the fray and start kickin' some serious baddie butt.

She was a pacifist and despised killing unless she had to, but in Link's presence, under his guidance, Zelda was a princess no more, but rather, a true _warrior_.

Yes, Zelda hated to fight, but that didn't mean she wasn't willing when she had to and that didn't mean she wasn't damn good at it.

She rushed into the monster's lair, following the streams of soldiers and quickly showed no mercy hacking and slashing away at the monsters that quickly surrounded her to protect their territory. The beasts were not very intelligent and cruel by nature, so Zelda didn't feel quite as much remorse as letting them feel the sting of her rapier.

_That's what you get for hurting my love._

A Lizalfos approached her, recognizing that she, like Link, was not an ordinary soldier, spewing its disgusting fiery breath at her. She quickly dodged to the right, expertly pinpointing the exposed monster flesh between the arm and chest guard and killing the monster with one quick, precise move. A Bokoblin gave a hearty cry and charged at her, as some sort of revenge attempt for its master, and she dodged again, moving behind the creature and dismembering it with another precise strike.

The soldiers that had been accompanied her stopped and stared for a moment, clearly awed at her admittedly fantastic skill, and Zelda wished the helmets didn't mask their utter surprise.

_How do you like me now, boys?_

Another beast very stupidly launched itself at her, meeting an instant and rather bloody demise as Zelda once again used her excellent sense of awareness to find its weak point before it could even lay a scratch on her. The battle continued, more of the same, as Zelda destroyed creatures left and right and raiding the left side of the base. She was so caught up in the heat of the battle that she never realized that something was very…_off_. Outside of the Lizalfos, which was likely caught off guard, all of the monsters she was destroying in the settlement were very weak and low-ranking. Their commanders were nowhere to be seen. Monsters weren't like Hylians, they lived on a survival-only basis and weaker monsters always followed stronger monsters as their survival method. There was no way these weaker monsters existed on their own. Unless…

"Link!" Zelda gasped aloud, ignoring one of her fellow soldier's surprise as he realized that the voice that escaped from Zelda's suit of armor was very feminine. She ran past him—like she had any time to explain to him, yes, women outside of Impa (who was a Sheikah and an exception) weren't allowed on the battlefield unless absolutely necessary due to old and idiotic laws that made zero sense and she really didn't want to deal with all of that nonsense—and headed straight for the opposite side of the settlement. Until now, she and most of the army had been within the settlement itself. As soon as Zelda stepped outside…

She gasped, her heart sinking into her stomach and shattering into a million pieces.

There was a horde of Lizalfos, Stalfos, Dinolfols, and even three gigantic beasts that she didn't recognize surrounding one lone Hylian soldier—a soldier Zelda recognized without even having to see him. A fourth massive beast lay beside him, having been properly impaled, but he was hopelessly outnumbered.

Zelda's worst fears were being realized before her eyes.

Even though the Hylian army was overall inept, they were still numbers and bodies to distract the monsters. Just like she'd predicted, the monsters finally figured out that if they isolate Link completely from the army, maybe they can kill him. And if they kill him, Hyrule will be at their mercy to do whatever they please.

To his credit, the worthless Commander also had noticed something was wrong and ran out to check on the situation outside. He immediately doubled back into the settlement, desperately calling for the Hylian forces to run outside and protect Link as he was in serious trouble.

A gigantic monster plant-thing spewed some sort of poison at Link while a giant spider creepily shot some laser out of its eye. The two were in conflicting directions and Link couldn't possible avoid both. Zelda cried out, sprinting forward faster than she'd ever run before, but she was too late.

Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Link opted to be hit with poison, believing he could survive being poisoned but a laser to the chest would likely kill him. He let out a small cry, bravely refusing to let the monsters know that their strategy was working…

Although she didn't carry a mystical adventure pouch that somehow held all of life's items in one little brown bag, Zelda was no stranger to multiple weapons. She had another precious item in her possession, hidden in a sword sheath. Her bow.

She drew the bow as she ran, aiming for the ugly spider's now-exposed weak point. It couldn't fire its laser in rapid succession and had to recharge. With amazing precision, Zelda's arrow burrowed its way into the exposed, unprotected eye. Seizing the opportunity, Link forced his poisoned body to move, taking advantage of the monster's stunned state and stabbing his sword straight through its eye, killing the disgusting creature instantly. He started to move to the evil plant that attacked him, but the poison was quickly taking effect, rendering the young hero virtually immobile.

No matter. This was why Zelda was here. She'd take care of the terrible thing that _dared _to hurt her beloved in one fell swoop.

With what little remained of his strength, Link held out his boomerang with one hand, shielding his weakened body with his Hylian shield from the endless barrage of attacks the enemy commanders were throwing at him and Zelda swooped down and grabbed the bow. Link gave her a small nod as she passed by with dance-like grace as the two of them exchanged a silent agreement. _"I'll take it from here."_

Using her expert precision, Zelda targeted Planty's weak point. She couldn't get close to the blob due to its poisonous shield, but after spewing out its poison, the monster needed a moment to regain its plant bearings. With this opportunity, Zelda chucked the bow, rendering the plant mouths immobile and tearing at the exposed center with her rapier. In an uncharacteristic fury, she even continued to attack the monster after it was dead, unable to hide her very humanistic rage that this beast hurt the love of her life.

After Planty got its just desserts, she then turned her attention to the monster commanders who were attacking Link in his weakened state, obviously no sense of chivalry instilled in their primitive bones. She positioned herself as a human wall between him and the beasts, hacking away at their attacks, letting instinct guide her for once instead of relying on her wit as she usually did. She was so caught up in the commanders that she didn't notice…

"Look out!" Link gave a weakened cry behind her. Although her back was facing him and she couldn't see him, she knew him well enough to know what he was doing. The young warrior struggled to get to his feet to protect her, but was forced to collapse again, the poison dangerously spreading through his veins rapidly. She turned her head at his cry, eyes bulging with fright as all of a sudden the third beast, the massive lizard, had suddenly jumped into action and was heading _right towards her_…

"THIS is the power of the Hylian army!"

In a move that neither Link nor Zelda expected, the Hylian Commander, with strength no one knew he possessed, leapt at the creature with a massive bomb, taking advantage of the monster's open mouth to give the beast a very dangerous dinner. The bomb exploded within the creature, allowing the Hylian army to defeat the beast almost effortlessly. Zelda, so awed and elated that her forces were actually doing something _useful _for once, totally forgot about the enemy commanders still lunging at her…

"Don't even think about it!"

Link, with strength renewed likely from seeing the army's rare display of courage and brilliance, fought off the poison to slash feverously at Zelda's attackers, defeating the remainder of beasts in a matter of seconds. By the time Zelda regained her composure, the beasts were all dead. Exhausted and badly poisoned, Link started to collapse, but Zelda caught him before he could hit the ground.

Now that the adrenaline of the battle was slowly leaving her, Zelda couldn't contain a pained gasp as she realized that Link was a sickly green-purply color. He needed immediate medical attention, or he would surely perish…

"Here," a new voice, one Zelda recognized with glee, said in a very matured and motherly tone. Although Zelda had no idea where Impa came from, she was never happier to see her. Impa had brought a potion—as if somehow she knew what would happen—that would negate the effects from the poison and heal Link. Zelda gratefully took the potion and poured it down Link's mouth, her panic and worry finally turning to relief and elation as his body regained its normal pale color. He gave a small cough and weakly smiled at her.

All of a sudden, reality struck Zelda with a harsh _bang_.

She was just an ordinary soldier! Yes, a dutiful soldier who wanted to protect Hyrule who all of a sudden displayed amazing skills, but she was no one for Link to wonder about, she was just a simple man, yes, a _man_…

As her panicked thoughts circled around her ever-busy mind with the force of a tornado, she didn't notice Link's almost mischievous expression until he lifted up her helmet facemask and pulled her into a very passionate kiss. Caught in his loving embrace and relishing in the sweet taste of his lips, Zelda threw away all notions of her badly-formed disguise and gave herself to him.

"Thank you, Zelda," he said softly, his voice still weak from the strain of the battle. He nuzzled her fondly, stroking the side of her cheek with his battle hardened hand lovingly. Realizing that his limbs were shaking, likely from the aftereffects of the poison, she took his hand in hers. After the peace and relief sunk in for a moment, Zelda's eyes bulged in horror as she realized that the whole army was staring at her, _Impa included_, and even though she never announced herself to Link and wore a bulky disguise…he…he…

Well, since her face was out in the open now, it wasn't like she could deny who she was.

"You knew it was me?" She asked tentatively, kissing his hand.

Link gave a soft laugh. "Of course," he said with a loving smile. "I knew it was you from the very beginning. Who else would be stupid enough to charge head-on into a battle they couldn't possibly win?"

Zelda frowned at that. Like he was hardly one to talk.

"Speaking of which," Link paused momentarily to kiss her again, "I'm very mad at you, y'know."

"Mmmhhmm." Zelda was too happy to be in his loving embrace to care about his so-called "anger." Please. Off the battlefield, Link didn't know what the word meant. He'd probably "punish" her, but that was very okay with her.

"I don't like seeing you in danger," Link continued, as Zelda finally realized that Link's limbs were not shaking due to the poison, but out of nervousness for Zelda's safety and wellbeing. Zelda nuzzled him fondly, kissing him and caressing his back, reprimanding herself for making him fret about her so. "I love you," another passionate kiss, "so next time, leave the battlefield to me, okay?"

"Mmmhhmmmm," Zelda was still way too caught up with his passionate embrace to really care. Besides, she knew he would act this way. Link was such a sweet man, always wanting to protect her, but today she proved to herself what she always knew she was capable of—she could protect him too. What would she do in the next battle? She'd need a new disguise, she couldn't pull the same trick twice…

"And since I love you so much and don't want to see you hurt, I'm going to let Impa see to the matter of your punishment."

Zelda gulped.

Screw angry hordes of monsters.

Impa was going to be the death of her.

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><p><strong>I hoped you enjoyed "The Hyrule Warrior"! As you can probably guess, this story draws its inspiration from the Hyrule Warriors game. It's so frustrating that your allies can't do anything without your assistance, and this idea popped into my head as I played as Zelda. <strong>

**Please leave a review! It would greatly make my day. :) I hope you enjoyed the story and I'll see you later!**


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